1. Field of the Invention
An electrical module includes a rectangular carrier frame adapted for vertical transverse mounting on a horizontal support rail, a housing for mounting an electrical component in an open-top chamber contained in the carrier frame, and a rectangular electrical connector mounted on and extending across the upper end of the carrier frame, thereby to enclose the component and afford electrical connection with the upper terminals thereof. The module serves for the control and/or monitoring of technical processes and/or for industrial and/or building automation.
2. Description of Related Art
Connecting modules are known by way of example from the European patents Nos. EP 0 364 618 B1, EP 95 113 730 A1, and EP 95 113 730 A1, and the German patents Nos. DE 44 02 002 A1 and DE 199 64 156 A1. In the European patent No. EP 98 113 730, the connecting modules have a somewhat block-like structure with a plurality of connecting levels for connection of external conductors; on the other hand, the German patent No. DE 199 64 156 A1 discloses a mixed design with disc-like units with in each case two mutually parallel connecting levels and block-like units with a plurality of connecting elements.
The typical module of the European patent No. EP 0 364 618 B1—which is owned by the instant Applicant—displays base terminal carriers that are inserted into the push contacts, which contact each other when they are in an aligned state and which thus form bus lines that pass in this way over several modules. Pin-and-socket connectors are used for contacting a printed circuit board of an electronic unit that can be stuck on the base terminal carriers.
In contrast to the known devices of the prior art, the present invention was developed to provide a connecting module that can be handled in a simple manner and that is particularly clearly structured and whose structure will protect the electronic unit well.